Friday, January 21, 2011

LEAF STITCH

Today I will introduce you another texture stitch that is called Leaf Stitch. Leaf is highly decorative. It can be used to make a single leaf or to fill an area with a leaf design. I finished a little area for the pillow using Leaf Stitch but preferred not to add a stem for now. Give it a try. It stitches fast and will look nice as a chair seat or a pillow. You can use multiple colors as well.

LEAF STITCH

1. Anchor the thread to the canvas 4 holes to the right of the hole in which you wish to begin:2. Insert the needle 3 holes above the hole from which the thread emerged in the previous step. Slant the needle downward vertically and bring it out 2 holes below the hole from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through:3. Insert the needle 4 holes above and 1 hole to the right of the one from which the thread was emerged. Slanting the needle downward diagonally, bring it out 1 hole below the one from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through:4. Insert the needle 4 holes above and 2 holes to the right of the one from which the thread emerged in Step 3. Slant the needle downward diagonally and bring it out 1 hole below the one from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through:5. Insert the needle 4 holes above and 3 holes to the right of the one from which the thread emerged in Step 4. Slant the needle downward diagonally and bring it out 1 hole below the hole from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through:6. Insert the needle 4 holes above and 3 holes to the right of the hole from which the thread emerged in Step 5. Slant the needle downward diagonally and bring it out 1 hole below the one from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through:7. Insert the needle 4 holes above and 3 holes to the right of the hole from which the thread emerged in the previous step. Pull the needle through to the back of the canvas. This completes the right side of the leaf:8. Begin the left side of the leaf by bringing the needle up from the back of the canvas 3 holes to the left of the hole through which the thread entered the canvas in Step 7:9. Repeat Steps 2-6 with this exception: in each case, insert the needle above and to the left rather than to the right of the hole from which the thread emerged in the previous step:10.To add a stem to the leaf, thread your needle with a new strand of thread of either the same color or of a different color. Anchor the thread to the canvas as shown and bring the needle out in the center bottom hole of the finished leaf. Pull the thread through. Insert the needle 2 holes above the center bottom hole and pull the thread through without beginning a new stitch: